In this paper I discuss interviews conducted with Indonesian village women, concerning their decisions to sojourn abroad for work. The women detail three factors that they believe compel them to seek work abroad: lack of job opportunities, lack of educational and training opportunities and personal desire to experience life outside the confines of family and village life. They also raise the issue of government biases in educational and vocational planning that negatively affects villagers' abilities to find employment within Indonesia, and particularly within rural environments.I also interviewed community support workers who mention political patronage as a factor in allocating funds for educational and training projects. Recent studies indicate that the Indonesian government has, for many years, prioritized formal education at the public-school level in urban centers and larger provincial towns, but that poorer rural villages lack access to similar opportunities. Many Indonesian women working in laboring positions abroad emanate from these poorer villages.Participant recommendations include delinking village educational funding from political patronage, and allocating more funds to remote villages, not only in terms of building more primary and secondary schools but also in terms of providing long-term vocational training, particularly for young adults, which, in combination with increased employment opportunities, may decrease the necessity to migrate.Data was collected through interviews and written journals in Indonesia and Hong Kong between 2005 and 2017.

This paper discusses the use of written and oral narratives, composed as classroom assignments by adult Indonesian migrant workers, sojourning in Hong Kong. Individually written narratives embody group-common elements that can be acted upon, thus becoming catalysts for personal growth and for group social action planning. Personal growth includes refocusing personal identity away from the societally imposed and devalued ‘domestic helper’, toward identities that offer self-empowerment. Redefining personal identity within a group learning situation also builds group identity which can be directed toward confronting hegemonic forces. This is done on four fronts: firstly, by claiming the symbolic right of cultural space and by demanding respect within the larger Hong Kong community; secondly, by publicly agitating against government policies, such as human rights and minimum wage legislation, that migrant workers believe disadvantage them; thirdly, by increasing ability in English, Cantonese, and basic computer applications that specifically meet Indonesians’ work requirements and interests; and finally, by building the capacity to confront employers in claiming government guaranteed minimum wages and rest days. Through these actions, the opportunity for both personal and societal transformation is created.Data was collected through journal narratives and semi-structured qualitative interviews with migrants who were taking weekly English languages classes at a small private training center in Hong Kong.

The decision to migrate for (ostensibly) educational purposes, is often accompanied by psycho-social feelings of fear, sadness, guilt, pride, happiness and courage. In this report, which is part of a larger study concerning Nigerian student migration to China, five Nigerian university students discuss their motivations for leaving home and studying in China. Students were interviewed on several occasions either on the campus of their university in Guangdong province, China, or in another convenient location near the campus. Narratives were transcribed and examined for commonalities in terms of reasons given for leaving Nigeria, and affective psycho-social feelings surrounding students’ decisions. Narratives are presented in first person accounts and coded for categorical content and episodic form. Episodic form is then graphed, not for quantitative analysis, but to show the positive, neutral and negative affective emotion, displayed during discussions on specific topics. Results reveal a high degree of pride in personal ability, and in the industriousness of kin. They also reveal happiness and a sense of satisfaction by participants in moving their lives forward, and being able to help family members in Nigeria. However, there were also feelings of sadness, anger and frustration at Nigeria’s poor economy, which participants believe is the result of government ineptitude and corruption. This study is limited in that it only considers male Nigerian migrants of the Igbo tribe, studying in Guangdong province. Future researchers are advised to widen the geographical area, include other Nigerian tribal members, and women.

This paper examines Indonesian migrant domestic workers’ contentment with their sojourn in Hong Kong and factors that inhibit contentment. These factors largely consist of inadequate pre-departure training in Indonesia or training that emphasizes subservience rather than assertiveness, as well as oppressive work environments, underpayment and employer behavior designed to psychologically or physically demean migrants in Hong Kong. The paper proposes a training model with module content based on needs identified during interviews with migrants. Training modules may be presented in Indonesia or Hong Kong by NGO groups and should be process driven and experiential with an emphasis on assertiveness aimed at migrant perspective transformation. Although designed with the Indonesia-Hong Kong situation in mind, this model along with the accompanying modules may be adapted for a variety of situations where migrant workers find themselves in oppressive work environments.

The decision to migrate for educational purposes is often stressful, but for those leaving countries embroiled in major warring conflicts, the decision may be overshadowed by feelings of sadness, anger and loss. And for many, the ostensible purpose of migration - education, is overshadowed by the desire or need to leave for economic and security reasons. In such situations, migrants hope they can power through those negative feelings and emerge successful, and with familial honor intact. The narrative weapon used to defeat negative feelings are stories of pride and resourcefulness. In this study Yemeni students studying at a university in Guangdong Province, China were interviewed concerning their decisions to leave Yemen. Participants were between 20 and 30 years old: all were male. Most hailed from Aden or Sana’a or areas adjacent to those major cities and all aligned themselves with pre-1990 South Yemen, as described by their fathers. Narrative analysis revealed a striking similarity: stories of hopeful future redemption through economic opportunities found abroad. Indeed, participants revealed a consuming desire for economic success - an obligation that was energized by feelings of pride in being trusted with custodial duties of familial honor. The results are discussed qualitatively in terms of categorical content and episodic form. This study is limited in that it only includes Yemeni males aligned with pre-1990 South Yemen, and those who hail from Sana’a, Aden or nearby urban centers. Future studies should include women, and those who encompass wider political views and reside in rural areas.